Chapter 19
Factum est illud, fieri infectum non potest.
Done is done, it cannot be made undone.
(Plautus, Aulularia)

Julian leaned back in the pilot's seat and thought he heard movement behind him. Great.
Vicki Ann's awake. Time for another wrestling match. If they had been together, he
would have found it funny. Even though he wasn't telepathic or empathic, he could feel
her ice cold stare.

"I hate you."

He smiled. "Thanks, Vicki Ann."

"You're welcome," she snapped. "I'm serious, Julian. I hate you. I can never forgive you for
what you've done."

Julian got up. "I saved your life and this is the thanks I get?" She continued to glare at him
and Julian realized how hurt she really was. His expression softened. "Listen, Vicki Ann. I'm
sure that once you have time to think about what happened, you'll be fine."

"I'm not going to be fine! Julian, that was our son!"

"Vicki Ann, he was a puppet of Section 31!"

"I don't care. With therapy and time, he might have been fine!"

"We don't know that!"

"And you don't know that he wouldn't have been." She sighed. "God, we're arguing in
circles."

"I'm going to leave you alone. It's absolutely no use arguing with you now, you're too
upset. Just don't make me sedate you again."

"I'd like to see you try."

Julian ignored her comment and went back to the pilot's seat. "Shouldn't you be flying?
You're the first class pilot." He looked up and realized that Vicki Ann was standing over
him.

"Get up. Let someone who knows what they're doing fly this thing."

Once again, Julian ignored her and obeyed. He had to let her have her space for a while
until she got over her anger. Which, might be a while. Besides, if he talked too much to
her, she might realize that he felt just a bad as she did, he was just better at hiding it.

"Colonel, Dr. Troi's shuttle has returned. There are two life signs aboard. It's her and Dr.
Bashir," Nog told Kira.

"I'm on my way," Kira replied, getting up from her desk. She sprinted to meet them. When
she arrived, she noticed that Vicki Ann looked upset and Julian was keeping behind her, as
if he was the cause of her anger. Kira ignored it. "Julian, I'm so glad you're all right.

You too, doctor," she said, eyeing Vicki Ann.

"I suppose I'm in trouble," Vicki Ann said, frowning.

Kira smiled. "No, you're not. Given the opportunity, I'm sure any of us would have done the
same."

"Thanks," Vicki Ann replied. Although, I'm beginning to wish I hadn't gone to rescue him.

"Dr. Crusher is filling in. I suggest that the two of you rest for the next few days. Vicki
Ann, if it's alright, I'd like to give Julian his job back."

"That's fine with me."

"There will be a staff meeting tomorrow at 0900 hours. I'd like you to share your findings
about the clone. Julian, you can speak about Section 31."

"I'm very tired," Vicki Ann said. "And I'd like to get checked out at the infirmary. . ."

Kira smiled. "You're both dismissed."

As Vicki Ann left, Julian walked up to Kira. "Something happened with Section 31 that I
think you ought to be aware of before the meeting tomorrow."

"Alright, let's go to my office."

Julian walked into his quarters. Kira had said that Ezri was busy in her office, so he decided
to come back and take a shower before going to see her. The doors opened and he was
practically knocked over by Ezri.

"Oh, Julian! I'm so glad you're alright!"

"Thanks, Ezri," Julian said, laughing. "But, could you loosen your grip a little, I'm in some
pain here."

"Where does it hurt? I'll kiss it and make it better."

Julian winced. "All over. But, we'll save that for tonight. Right now, I'd like to get a shower
and then make a visit to the infirmary," he said, kissing her. He pulled away from her and
looked her over. "You don't know how glad I am to see you." He hugged her again.

"I missed you so much. When they said, you were dead, I didn't believe it."

Julian scrutinized her again. "Vicki Ann said you weren't doing so well. Are you alright?"

"I am now."

Julian wasn't convinced. "Still, I'd like you to keep seeing Deanna."

"Julian-"

"No arguments," he replied, placing his finger over her lips.

Ezri pouted. "Alright. Now, how about that shower?"

"You're pretty lucky, Vicki Ann. Julian took good care of you,"
Beverly Crusher told her as she ran a dermal regenerator over Vicki Ann's wounds.

"Please don't mention him," Vicki Ann replied.

"Why?" Beverly asked, her eyebrows furrowed with concern.

"It's a long story. I don't want to talk about it."

"You shouldn't have said that."

"Why?"

"I don't want to talk about it is doctor code for I really should talk about it. You should
know that."

"I guess I forgot."

"This is what we're going to do. You are going to have dinner tonight with Deanna and me
and you're going to tell us about it. No arguments. Is that clear, Commander?"

"Yes, sir."

Deanna Troi was finished for the day, so she closed Ezri's office and headed to the
infirmary. She was meeting Beverly for dinner. When she arrived, she saw her sister sitting
on a biobed being treated by Beverly. "Vicki Ann!" Deanna exclaimed. She ran to her sister
and embraced her. "Thank heavens you're alright! Don't you ever do that again!"

Vicki Ann smiled as she broke away from her sister's embrace. "I'm happy to see you, too."

"You're joining us for dinner, I hope," Deanna asked.

Beverly nodded. "Of course. I wouldn't take no for an answer."

"If you don't mind, I'd like to freshen up first. Unless of course you like my new perfume.
It's called Eau de Section 31," Vicki Ann replied, grinning.

Deanna made a face. "We definitely like your old one better."

As Vicki Ann walked out of the infirmary, Beverly turned to Deanna. "There's something you
need to know before we meet her at her quarters."

"What?"

"Something happened in that prison cell. Something between her and Julian. You should
have seen the look on her face when I mentioned his name."

"Well, I can't imagine that it was a pleasant experience for either of them. Sometimes,
when two people who are in a situation like that, in close quarters, tension can arise. This
tension can cause heated arguments between the two people. It's only natural."

"I think it's more than that. Julian did something that really hurt her and she hates him for
it."

"What, though? Julian would never hurt her willingly."

Beverly shook her head. "I don't know. But, I'm going to go ask Julian and find out."

Julian Bashir put on his uniform jacked and went to answer the door. It was Dr. Crusher,
looking worried. "Hello, doct- I mean, Beverly. It's nice to see you. Come in."

Beverly entered. "Thank you, Julian."

Julian motioned to the couch. "Sit down. I want to thank you for filling in until Vicki Ann
and I are better."

Beverly smiled. "No problem. I'd be bored if I weren't doing something." Beverly noticed Lt.
Dax emerge from the bedroom, adjusting her uniform top. "Did I come at a bad time?"

Julian glanced at Ezri and then shook his head. "No, it's fine.
What did you want?"

"I'm here to talk about Vicki Ann," Beverly replied. She thought Julian looked physically ill at
the mention of her name. What ever had happened, it had affected him too. "I know that
something happened between you two in that prison cell. She absolutely hates you, Julian.
What happened?"

Ezri looked at Julian, confused. "I'd like to know, too."

Julian sat down. "Sit down, Ezri. This could take a while."

Beverly Crusher met Deanna in the corridor by Vicki Ann's quarters.

"What did you find out?" Deanna asked.

"You aren't going to believe this," Beverly replied. "It seems that Section 31 took samples
from both of them when they were in captivity before. They used these samples to create
a child which they accelerated the growth of and taught to be an operative."

Deanna gasped. "But why is Vicki Ann mad at Julian?"

"Someone sabotaged the facility and Vicki Ann and Julian escaped. Vicki Ann wanted to go
back to their son and rescue him, but Julian wouldn't allow it."

"That was probably the best option, considering the circumstances."

"The lesser of two evils. Well, now that we know, let's ring the bell."

Deanna frowned at her sister. They had finished eating and were sitting in the living room,
talking. Vicki Ann was cleverly hiding her pain. Deanna knew what it was like to lose a child
and she wanted to help her sister. Unfortunately, Vicki Ann hadn't mentioned anything
about Julian Jr. Sure, she'd told them all about her interrogation and resulting illness, but
not one word about her and Julian's child.

"Vicki Ann, did something happen between you and Julian?"

Vicki Ann looked confused. "What are you talking about?"

Beverly frowned. "When I mentioned his name in the infirmary, you were ready to breathe
fire."

"Vicki Ann, we know what happened with Section 31," Deanna added.

"What do you mean?" Vicki Ann asked.

"We know about your child," Beverly finished.

Deanna moved over and put her arm around her sister. "And we want to help you get
through it." Deanna sighed. "I never told you this, but I had a child once. And although he
was only with me for a short time, I loved him very much. I still miss him." She then told
Vicki Ann the story.

"But, Deanna, I didn't even know him. I couldn't sense him. It was like he wasn't there. I
don't know if I loved him or not. All I know is that when Julian said that there was a bomb,
I wanted to save him. Despite what Section 31 had done. Despite the fact that he felt
absolutely nothing for me or Julian. When I saw the DNA, I was in too much shock to feel
anything for him, but later I did. I wanted to take him into my arms and protect him from
Section 31 and do everything in my power to undo what those bastards did to him. But,
Julian wouldn't let me."

Beverly almost cringed when she saw Vicki Ann's face when she mentioned Julian. The last
thing Vicki Ann wanted to hear was that Julian was justified in his decision. "Julian was just
doing what he thought was best."

"But he didn't even consult me! He was my child too! No, Julian was too obsessed with
stopping Section 31. That and coming home to Ezri. That's all he cared about. And I can
never forgive him for that."

After Beverly left, Julian turned to Ezri. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just didn't want to deal
with it. I wanted to forget everything that had happened in that prison cell."

Ezri sat down beside him and immediately the counselor kicked in. "It's alright, Julian. You
have to deal with this in your own way, in your own time. But, it would help to talk about
it."

Julian sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Did I do the right thing? He was my son
and I let him die. I didn't even try to save him. In fact, I prevented Vicki Ann from going
after him. I sentenced my own son to death for being Section 31's pawn. For just being
alive."

"Julian, you had to do it. Section 31 would have killed you otherwise. And with an agent
like that, Section 31 would have been practically unbeatable. You did the right thing."

Julian sighed again. "If I did the right thing, why do I feel like someone ripped my heart
out?"